John Terry

Player Information

Full name: John George Terry
Date of birth: December 07, 1980
Birthplace: Barking, London, England
Nationality: English
EU passport: Yes
Height: 182 cms
Weight: 74 kgs

Club: Chelsea
Position: Defender [C]
Squad Number: 26
Contract expires: June 2012
Previous clubs: (youth) Chelsea

International debut: June 2003, v Yugoslavia
International Caps: 29
International Goals: 1
World Cups: Germany 2006

Awards

English League Cup (2005, 2007)
English FA Premier League (2005, 2006)
English FA Community Shield (2005)
English FA Cup (2007)

UEFA Champions League Best Defender (2005)

Biography

1980
Born December 7 in Barking, London, England.
2005
April: Wins Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year Award.
2006
April: Helps Chelsea claim its second straight Premier League title.
June 25: Defender John Terry was named the Budweiser Man of the Match after he anchored an England back line that completely smothered Ecuador's forwards on the way to a 1-0 victory in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16.
August 10: John Terry has been appointed the new captain of England's football team, taking over from David Beckham, the Football Association (FA) has announced.
August 16: Makes a scoring debut as captain of England in his country 4-0 triumph over Greece. "The whole night really could not have gone any better," he said.
October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.
November 6: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.
December 28: John Terry underwent back surgery in France to remove a sequestrated lumbar intervertebral disc. He is expected to miss weeks rather than months.
2007
February 25: Taken off the field on a stretcher after Arsenal defender Abou Diaby accidentally kicked him in the head in the 58th minute of the English League Cup final. He was put on a stretcher with an oxygen mask placed over his mouth and a brace around his head. He was taken to hospital for tests but was able to return to the Millennium Stadium little more than an hour later -- still in his kit -- where he joined his team mates celebrating the 2-1 victory secured by two Didier Drogba goals.
May 1: Lost the Champions League semi-final with Chelsea against Liverpool on penalties 4-1 after drawing 1-1 on aggregate on a dramatic night at Anfield.
May 19: Won the English FA Cup with Chelsea over Man United following a 1-0 extra time victory at the New Wembley.
July 27: Signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea. The England skipper put pen to paper today to end months of speculation over his future.
October 5: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.
December 18: Set to be sidelined for up to six weeks after breaking three bones in his right foot. Scans showed Terry had fractured the bones, including his third metatarsal, when he was tackled by Emmanuel Eboue late in the first half of Chelsea's 1-0 Premier League loss to Arsenal on Sunday.
2008
February 24: Member of the Chelsea squad that lost the Carling Cup Final in extra time against Tottenham.
May 21: Missed a penalty in the shootout which would have won Chelsea the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final. Terry appeared to slip on the penalty spot before he made contact with the ball and could only hit the post. Chelsea then went on to lose 6-5 on penalties to Manchester United.
August 28: Voted UEFA Club Best Defender of the Year. "For me personally it's an amazing achievement," he said, adding: "To be a great defender you need a lot of attributes - to be quick, strong, good in the air and you also need plenty of great team-mates around you and I'm very lucky to have that."
October 27: Included in the FIFPro World XI Team of the Year.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

Established as one of England’s first-choice central defenders during Rio Ferdinand’s suspension, John Terry is equally dominant on the ground and in the air.
Despite missing the opening game against France, Terry was one of England’s shining lights at UEFA EURO 2004 and continues to hold down one of England’s two central defensive positions in the face of competition from Ferdinand and Sol Campbell.

Terry became captain of Chelsea in the 2003/2004 season and has since led them to two successive Premiership titles in 2006 and 2006.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

A commanding central defender who dominates in the air and on the ground, John Terry has made the transition from bright prospect to fully-fledged star by leading Chelsea FC to consecutive Premiership titles.

Club
Terry rose through the youth ranks at Chelsea to make his debut for the club in October 1998 under Gianluca Vialli. He was Chelsea's young player of the year in 2001 and in 2002 scored the winning goals in both the quarter-final and semi-final of the FA Cup in the latter of those campaigns. Terry became captain as Chelsea finished Premiership runners-up in 2003/04 and was a virtual ever-present the following season in the London club's march to the Premiership title for the first time in 50 years. Voted PFA Player of the Season, Terry was also included in uefa.com's Team of the Year in 2005 and captained Chelsea to another league championship in 2005/06.

National team
Terry made a wonderful competitive debut against F.Y.R Macedonia in UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying, producing a towering display in place of the injured Rio Ferdinand. He missed the opening game of the finals through injury, but played in the next three matches as England lost to Portugal in the quarter-finals. Displaced Sol Campbell as a first choice during the FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign and was an ever-present as Sven-Göran Eriksson's side again reached the last eight in Germany.

Did you know?
His brother, Paul, plays for another English club, Yeovil Town FC.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

One of the brightest defensive prospects in England, John Terry is a powerful central defender who dominates in the air and on the ground and is tipped as a future captain of his country.

National team
Received his first England call-up in Sven-Göran Eriksson's squad to face Liechtenstein and Turkey in UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying in March 2003, but had to wait for a friendly against Serbia and Montenegro that June to finally appear.

UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying
Made a wonderful competitive debut against F.Y.R Macedonia with a towering display at the back in place of the injured Rio Ferdinand. In only his third competitive game he was arguably England's man of the match in the crucial draw in Istanbul.

Club
A Londoner, Terry rose through the youth ranks at Chelsea FC to make his debut for the club in October 1998 under Gianluca Vialli. However, he only became a regular following the appointment of Claudio Ranieri. He was Chelsea's young player of the year in 2001 and the following season enhanced his growing reputation by playing almost 50 games in total, scoring the winning goals in both the quarter-final and semi-final of the FA Cup before the Blues were beaten by Arsenal FC. He excelled again the following term, too, as Chelsea finished fourth.

2003/4: Being named Chelsea captain added consistency to his game and Terry scored three times in 33 Premiership games as Chelsea finished runners-up. Terry was similarly impressive in the UEFA Champions League prior to the semi-final defeat by AS Monaco FC.

Did you know?
His brother, Paul, plays for another English club, Yeovil Town FC.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

Frank Lampard

Player Information

Full name: Frank James Lampard
Date of birth: June 21, 1978
Birthplace: Romford, England
Nationality: English
EU passport: Yes
Height: 177 cms
Weight: 78 kgs

Club: Chelsea
Position: Midfielder [C]
Squad Number: 8
Contract expires: June 2014
Previous clubs: West Ham > Swansea > West Ham > (£11m) Chelsea

International debut: October 1999, v Belgium
International Caps: 50
International Goals: 11
World Cups: Germany 2006

Awards

English League Cup (2005, 2007)
English FA Premier League (2005, 2006)
English FA Community Shield (2005)
English FA Cup (2007)

English FA Premier League Footballer of the Year (2005)

Biography

1978
Born June 20 in Romford, Essex. Father, also Frank, was professional footballer with West Ham United.
1992
August: Joins West Ham, where uncle Harry Redknapp is assistant manager, as a trainee. Plays 187 games for the club, scoring 39 times. In 1994, Redknapp becomes manager and Lampard senior is appointed his assistant.
1995
October: On loan to Swansea for 11 games, scores one goal.
1999
October: First appearance for England at home to Belgium.
2001
June: Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri buys the midfielder for 11 million pounds ($19.45 million).
2002
May: Following a mediocre season, Lampard fails to make England's World Cup squad.
2003
August: Lampard becomes an England regular, notching his first goal against Croatia.
2004
June: Scores three goals at Euro 2004.
July: Named Chelsea vice-captain when Jose Mourinho takes over at Stamford Bridge.
December: Voted England player of the year.
2005
February: Wins first major trophy when Chelsea hoist League Cup.
May: Helps the Blues to their first championship for 50 years with 12 league goals and 18 in total as club's top scorer.
June: Wins English football writers' player of the year award.
November: Runner-up for European Footballer of the Year.
December: Second in Fifa's World Player of the Year award.
2006
April: Helps Chelsea claim its second straight Premier League title.
June 10: Frank Lampard was named Budweiser Man of the Match for his excellent all-round game in England's 1-0 win over Paraguay in their opening match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.
August 20: Reiterated his desire to stay with the Chelsea for the rest of his playing career. "I see myself being here for a long time," he told BBC.
October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.
October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.
2007
February 25: Member of the Chelsea squad that won the English League Cup after defeating Arsenal 2-1 in the Millennium Stadium.
March 19: An angry fan raced on to the pitch and threw a punch at Lampard after Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-1 in an FA Cup quarter-final replay. Lampard, who was celebrating with team mates, ducked to miss the punch and the spectator was manhandled to the ground before being led away by security men.
May 1: Lost the Champions League semi-final with Chelsea against Liverpool on penalties 4-1 after drawing 1-1 on aggregate on a dramatic night at Anfield.
May 19: Won the English FA Cup with Chelsea over Man United following a 1-0 extra time victory at the New Wembley.
July 1: Rejected a new Chelsea deal which would have eclipsed the £121,000 a week given to Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack.
August 5: Member of the Chelsea team that lost the English FA Community Shield against Man Utd 3-0 on penalties at Wembley.
August 9: Launched Frank TV, a new Mobile TV programme dedicated to him, available exclusively on OrangeƆs mobile phone TV service.
October 31: Took his tally of goals for Chelsea to 96 when he bagged a hat-trick in the holders? 4-3 victory over Leicester City in a thrilling League Cup fourth-round tie.
2008
February 16: Lampard became the eighth player to score 100 goals for Chelsea, when he scored twice against Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup.
February 24: Member of the Chelsea squad that lost the Carling Cup Final in extra time against Tottenham.
March 12: Scored 4 goals in Chelsea's 6-1 thrashing of Derby County.
April 30: Two days before the funeral of the mother he admits was his guiding light, Frank Lampard scored a vital penalty in extra-time to drive Chelsea towards victory over Liverpool FC in the UEFA Champions League semi-final. It was an act of courage that had team-mates queueing up afterwards to praise him.
May 21: Lost the UEFA Champions League final with Chelsea 6-5 on penalties against Man Utd at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Lampard was rewarded for another trademark surge into the penalty area as two fortunate deflections allowed to tuck home the equaliser. Unlucky to hit the bar in extra-time.
August 13: Signed a five-year contract with Chelsea running until the end of the 2013/14 season, ending a summer of speculation about his future.
August 28: Became the first Chelsea player, and only the second English-based footballer after Beckham nine years ago, to take the UEFA Club Best Midfielder of the Year. He said: "It feels very good. When you see the players that you're up against, there are some world-class players there. I've been up for the award for three years now so it's nice to finally win it."

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

Voted England’s Player of the Year by supporters of the national team in 2004 and 2005, Frank Lampard has been an inspirational figure for both club and country in that time. He was England’s top scorer in the qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup™ and provided Chelsea’s main source of goals during their successive Premiership triumphs in 2004/05 and 2005/06.
Lampard, who came second behind Ronaldinho in the 2005 voting for FIFA World Player of the Year, has worked hard to achieve his current status in the game. Steven Gerrard, his partner in England’s midfield, considers him “probably the most improved player in the world” over the last two years, describing his progress in that time as “unbelievable”.

A schoolboy cross-country runner, Lampard his shown plenty of resilience in his rise up the football ladder. It is now ten seasons since Lampard made his debut for West Ham United, the club where he grew up under the watchful gaze of his father and uncle, Frank Lampard Sr and Harry Redknapp, who were assistant manager and manager respectively.

There were ups and downs at Upton Park for the young Lampard, as he recalled when he collected his award for the English Football Writers’ Player of the Year in May 2005. “I remember running on the touchline and being told, ‘Go and sit down with your uncle and dad because you’re not good enough to get on the pitch’,” he said.

Lampard gradually began to fulfil his promise as a goalscoring midfielder, registering seven-goal hauls in each of his last two seasons with West Ham, before he joined Chelsea in an £11million transfer in 2001. By this time he was an England international, having made his debut came against Belgium in 1999, but it was not until the 2003/04 season that he finally won a regular starting place in the national side.

Since coming off the bench to claim his first goal for England in the 3-1 friendly win against Croatia in August 2003, however, Lampard has become a near-permanent presence on Sven-Goran Eriksson’s team sheet. He ended 2003/04 with ten league goals for Chelsea and then struck three times as England reached the last eight at UEFA EURO 2004, his first senior international tournament.

If those figures were impressive then in the intervening two years, Lampard has got even better. Blessed with supreme fitness, a keen eye for goal and, in his own words, “a natural determination to compete”, he has become one of the best attacking midfielders in world football.

He is vice-captain at Chelsea and together with John Terry and Joe Cole brings some English ‘spirit’ to Jose Mourinho’s multi-national collective. Of course, he brings much more than that: Lampard played 164 consecutive league games over the course of the last five seasons and was a key contributor as Chelsea captured successive league titles in 2004/05 and 2005/06, scoring 29 Premiership goals in that period.

For England, Lampard was on target in five of their ten Germany 2006 qualifiers and set the seal on a successful campaign with the winning goals in the final two fixtures against Austria and Poland. He struck from the spot against the Austrians, having taken over the penalty-taking duties from David Beckham, while against Poland it was an exquisite volleyed effort that won the match – a goal struck with the confidence becoming a player at the very top of his game.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

A dynamic player who possesses a fine range of passing and devastating shooting, Frank Lampard has developed into one of the finest exponents of the midfield player's art.

Club
A graduate of the academy at West Ham United FC, Lampard made his Premiership debut in 1996. He spent a spell on loan at Swansea City FC but was back at Upton Park as West Ham won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999. He joined Chelsea FC for €16m in the summer of 2001 and missed just one Premiership game in his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge. He was Chelsea's best player as they reached the UEFA Champions League semi-final in 2003/04, and played a starring role again the following year, scoring 19 goals as Chelsea won the Premiership title and the English League Cup. That display saw him named as Football Writers' Player of the Year, and he scored 16 goals as the London club retained the Premiership crown in 2005/06.

National team
Lampard made his international debut in October 1999, but missed out on selection for UEFA EURO 2000™ and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He bounced back to feature at UEFA EURO 2004™, scoring three times before England were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Portugal, but his form was less impressive as England bowed out at the same stage, against the same opponents, at the 2006 World Cup.

Did you know?
Lampard's father Frank twice won the FA Cup with West Ham while his uncle, Harry Redknapp, is the manager of Portsmouth FC.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

A midfield player who possesses a fine passing range, Frank Lampard is also a tireless worker and regular goalscorer.

National team
Kevin Keegan was in charge when Lampard made his international debut on 10 October 1999, although he was not selected for England's ill-fated UEFA EURO 2000™ campaign, instead captaining the Under-21s. Was selected for Sven-Göran Eriksson's first match but again missed out when the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad was announced. However, Lampard bounced back to play in UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying.

Club
Like team-mate Joe Cole, he is a graduate of the academy at West Ham United FC. Lampard made his Premiership debut against Sheffield Wednesday FC in 1996 and by 1997/98 - after a spell on loan at Swansea City FC - was a regular. Ever present in 1998/99, he then played 64 matches over the next two seasons to take his tally at Upton Park to 148, scoring 23 goals.

2001: Joined Chelsea FC for €16m and missed just one game in a debut season which saw him net five goals in 37 Premiership matches and feature in the UEFA Cup.

2002/03: For the second time in his career, Lampard did not miss a game, scoring six times as Chelsea finished fourth to reach the UEFA Champions League qualifying round, where they eliminated MŠK Žilina in August 2003.

2003/4: A memorable season for Lampard whose midfield displays earned him second place in the PFA Player of the Year awards. Despite a flood of big name buys, he was consistently Chelsea's best player as they reached the Champions League semi-final and finished second in the Premiership.

Did you know?
Lampard's father, also Frank, twice won the FA Cup with West Ham and his uncle, Harry Redknapp, is the manager of Portsmouth FC.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

Didier Drogba

Player Information

Full name: Didier Yves Drogba Tébily
Date of birth: March 11, 1978
Birthplace: Abidjan, Côte d' Ivoire
Nationality: Ivorian
2nd nationality: French
EU passport: Yes
Height: 188 cms
Weight: 74 kgs

Club: Chelsea
Position: Striker [C]
Squad Number: 11
Contract expires: June 2010
Previous clubs: Le Mans > Guingamp > (£4m) Marseille > (£24m) Chelsea

International debut: September 2002, v South Africa
International Caps: 47
International Goals: 31
World Cups: Germany 2006

Awards

English League Cup (2005, 2007)
English FA Premier League (2005, 2006)
English FA Community Shield (2005)
English FA Cup (2007)

French Ligue 1 Player of the Season (2004)
UEFA Cup Top Scorer (2004)
Ivorian Player of the Year (2006)
African Footballer of the Year (2006)
English Premier League Top Scorer (2007)

Biography

1978
Born March 11 in Abidjan.
1983
Arrives to France as a five-year-old.
1998
Starts career with second division Le Mans UC 72.
2002
January: Joins Guingamp.
September: Makes Ivorian national team debut in an African Cup of Nations qualifier 0-0 draw against South Africa in Abidjan.
2003
May: Finish third in the Ligue 1 scoring charts with 17 strikes in 34 matches.
June: Signs a five-year contract with Marseille for an undisclosed fee.
2004
May: Loses UEFA Cup final with Marseille; Crowned the French Player of the Year.
July: Joins Chelsea for a club-record fee of 37.5m euros.
2005
May: Wins double of Premier League and League Cup with Chelsea.
October: Helps his country to qualify for the first time to the World Cup finals.
2006
February: Helps Ivory Coast to reach the final of the African Cup of Nations. Defeated by Samuel Etoo in the African Player of the Year 2005 award after collecting 106 votes and the Cameroonian 108.
April: Helps Chelsea claim its second straight Premier League title.
September 27: Didier Drogba's first UCL hat-trick gave Chelsea a comfortable win against Levski Sofia and made it maximum points from their opening two Champions League games.
October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.
October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.
November 03: Didier Drogba has signed a new four-year contract that will keep him with Chelsea until 2010, the club said.
November 12: Drogba's superb form for Chelsea continued with a hat-trick in the Blues 4-0 defeat of Watford at Stamford Bridge.
2007
February 25: Scored twice as Chelsea came from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1 in an English League Cup final marred by a head injury to John Terry and an ugly late brawl that led to three red cards.
March 1: Named 2006 African Footballer of the Year, edging out Samuel Eto'o to deny him a record fourth successive award.
April 22: Included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
May 1: Lost the Champions League semi-final with Chelsea against Liverpool on penalties 4-1 after drawing 1-1 on aggregate on a dramatic night at Anfield.
May 13: Secured the Premiership Golden Boot as his equaliser earned Chelsea a 1-1 draw against Everton, which extended Chelsea's unbeaten run in home league games to 63 - equalling the English top-flight record set by Liverpool.
May 19: Scored a goal late in extra time to secure a 1-0 victory for Chelsea over Manchester United in the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley.
October 5: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.
October 18: Drogba admitted he is determined to quit Chelsea because Jose Mourinho's departure has shattered morale at Stamford Bridge. "I want to leave Chelsea," he is quoted as saying in an issue of France Football magazine. "Something is broken with Chelsea. The damage has been big in the dressing room because we know now what happened and who caused Mourinho's departure. Nothing can stop me from leaving now."
2008
February: Represented Côte d' Ivoire in the Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Ghana. He was part of the team that finished in 4th place of the competition.
February 24: Member of the Chelsea squad that lost the Carling Cup Final in extra time against Tottenham.
April 30: Scored twice in the Chelsea's 3-2 UCL Semifinal defeat of Liverpool to put the blues on its first Champions League final ever.
May 21: Lost the UEFA Champions League final with Chelsea 6-5 on penalties against Man Utd at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Drogba flounced through the match before suddenly coming to life and hitting a post. Then became only the second player to be sent off in the Champions League final after needlessly tapping Nemanja Vidic in extra-time.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

Côte d’Ivoire’s footballing history can be divided into two distinct periods – before and after Didier Drogba. Granted, the country has known stars in the past such as Laurent Pokou, Youssouf Fofana, Joel Tiehi and Ibrahima Bakayoko, but none of them had such an influence on The Elephants’ and their footballing fortunes as their robust forward and current captain.
Perhaps Drogba has sporting blood running through his veins. Born in Yopougon, one of the poorer suburbs of the capital Abidjan, Drogba moved to France when he was only five years old, to join his uncle Michel Goba, himself a former international.

The lad was soon following in his uncle’s footsteps. In 1991, at the age of 13, he joined Breton club Vannes, trying his hand at various positions in the team and gradually realising he could perhaps make a living as a professional. His next move was up to join Levallois-Perret, on the outskirts of Paris. Despite his tender age, he was already an impressive physical specimen, and spent four years cutting his teeth in the suburbs, often putting in extra training to keep up with his team-mates who had all learned the tricks of the trade at specialised youth football centres.

In 1997, he signed professional terms with Le Mans in the French second division, and spent five up-and-down years with club. Often hampered by injuries, he only managed to score 12 goals in 64 matches, but this was enough to catch the eye of Guingamp, who had recently been promoted to the first division. Drogba found the net 17 times as he formed an explosive strike pairing with Florent Malouda.

This was enough to thrust Drogba into the spotlight, and the big names – PSG, Marseille, Lyon and Monaco – all came calling. Marseille were the lucky winners of the Drogba lottery, and while the critics presumed he would take a while to settle in at such a prestigious club, the forward soon set about proving them wrong. Drogba’s success on the south coast came almost too easily. The notoriously harsh fans at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome took him to their hearts, and he became a star of French and international proportions. Marseille reached the final of the UEFA Cup, and Drogba was voted France’s player of the season.

Chelsea swoop
A tally of 19 league goals and another 11 in Europe were more than enough to catch the eye of Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea. The Blues’ manager Jose Mourinho set about convincing Drogba to swap Marseille for London, and after one unbelievable season, he was off to join Chelsea for a staggering €32m.

His success for his country has mirrored his domestic career. He made his debut in 2003 under Robert Nouzaret against South Africa, and despite the fact he did not manage to open his account, it turned out to be Drogba’s first step towards becoming a legend in the eyes of the Ivorian fans.

Three years on, and the Chelsea forward finds himself captaining the national side. His positional awareness is matched only by his precision in front of goal, while he is capable of using his size to wear down defenders before finishing them off, with either foot or a powerful header.

Drogba was the second highest scorer in the African qualifiers for the 2006 FIFA World Cup GermanyTM with a total of nine goals, which has served only to heighten his already glowing reputation in his homeland. Songs and dances have been written in his honour, and there are drinks and other products bearing his likeness. They say that elephants never forget, but no ‘Elephant’ international in living memory has enjoyed such popularity. Imagine the reaction if Drogba were to lead his country to glory in Germany this summer.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

Fresh from action at the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals with Ivory Coast, the pacy, powerful and prolific Didier Drogba faces fierce competition from new signing Andriy Shevchenko for a place in Chelsea FC's starting XI in 2006/07.

Born in Abidjan in 1978, Drogba started his career with Ligue 2 side Le Mans UC 72, making his debut in 1998/99 before joining EA Guingamp in January 2002. The tall forward raised his game in the top flight in 2001/02 before properly establishing himself the following season, finishing third in the Ligue 1 scoring charts with 17 strikes in 34 matches and inspiring Guingamp to seventh place and qualification for the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Drogba joined Olympique de Marseille in June 2003 and then scored against every team he faced in the UEFA Champions League proper and the UEFA Cup until the final loss against Valencia CF. A further 18 Ligue 1 goals led to him being crowned the French Player of the Year and made him the hottest property in Europe. He opted to join Chelsea, scoring ten league goals in his first season and 12 in his second as the London club won consecutive Premiership titles. He also captained his country to the 2006 African Cup of Nations final and at the World Cup finals the same year, scoring against Argentina.

Did you know?
Chelsea paid a club-record €37.5m fee to Marseille for Drogba, but broke that record by signing Shevchenko for €45m in the summer of 2006.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.